Kim Jong-Il once carded 38-under par at Pyongyang Golf Course

One of golf’s greatest feats is to shoot one’s age.

A portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il released by the North's official KCNA news agency in Pyongyang December 19, 2011. Kim Jong-Il died on a train trip on Saturday.

By:Daniel GirardSports Reporter, Published on Mon Dec 19 2011

One of golf’s greatest feats is to shoot one’s age.

So, imagine how spectacular a day Kim Jong-Il had back in 1994. The North Korean dictator, who died on Saturday of heart failure at age 69, scorched the 7,700-yard Pyongyang Golf Course in a stunning 38-under par, 34.

Now, before getting all bent out of shape that such a score is impossible or clearly the product of creative scorekeeping on the part of the “Dear Leader,” it’s important to note that witnesses attest to his great round.

According to reports, Kim, who was 52 at the time, carded no worse than a birdie on any hole at the country’s only golf club. He also had five holes-in-one in the round, which was witnessed by 17 armed bodyguards.

“He is an excellent golfer,” Park Young Man, the club professional, told the International Herald Tribune a couple of months after Kim’s historic round, which was widely-reported in North Korea’s state-controlled media.

Good thing for Tiger Woods and his contemporaries Kim spent his time serving his people because clearly he could have ruled the PGA Tour too.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.